Proceeds from the ads below will be donated to the
Bob Wuesthoff scholarship fund.
Monday, April 17, 2006 |
UTK Quick Hits
From today's UTK:
- The Dodgers are not cursed. As much as any Dodgers fan wants to believe that they’ve experienced a run of bad luck, luck doesn’t show this much pattern. Instead, we’re facing chaos, a seemingly unrelated pattern of injuries and occurrences that, when looked at a little more closely, actually does follow some heuristics. I’ve discussed cascades before as they relate to individual players — an injury to one part of the body can often create more problems as the body tries to adjust — but they also occur to teams. The Dodgers are a great case for this, as injuries have forced players out of their roles and into others for which they may not have been as prepared. Yhency Brazoban had a heavy workload last year filling in for Eric Gagne. Seventy innings is hardly a heavy workload for any pitcher, but the usage patterns and in-game workloads in high-stress situations may have contributed to this. The injury to Brazoban, a torn UCL, is bad enough. But Brazoban’s injury was much worse than the normal ligament tear. Instead of the ligament itself tearing, the pitcher experienced an avulsion, where the ligament actually tore away a chunk of bone. It will be re-inserted and reinforced, much as a normal Tommy John. This type of injury is rare, but should not impact the rehab. We’ll see Brazoban back next spring. This latest injury is another data point for the failings of the Dodgers when it comes to team health, along with another data point for the health problems that befall converted position players.
For all the great things Frank Jobe has done for the Dodgers and baseball generally, I have to wonder if an 80-year-old orthopedist is the best thing for the team. While I'm sure a lot of stuff goes on that merely has his name on it, at some point it becomes a matter of the buck stopping at his desk.
- The Angels have an interesting team construction. Keeping heir backups mostly at Triple-A allows them to carry someone like Tim Salmon even when their outfield carries considerable risk. In the pitching ranks, if — or should I say when — Frankie Rodriguez goes down, Scot Shields might not be the long-term solution. Instead, the team might push Kelvim Escobar into the role. The hamstring strain that Rodriguez experienced this weekend might not put him on the DL, though the Angels will be extremely conservative. That means Shields will get the saves for now. Late word is that Rodriguez’s injury was a cramp, not a strain.
- Bartolo Colon had a nice start after seeing on video that he was not using his legs.
Comments:
Wow Rob, that is the first slam I have ever read of the heretofore reerently-respected Dr. Jobe (mild a slam as it was). McMillin is not afraid to slaughter any sacred cows, folks.
# posted by 
: 4/17/2006 03:53:00 PM
: 4/17/2006 03:53:00 PM
Wow, I wouldn't call that a slam, I'd call it a question. Given that the Dodgers have had significant health issues for two years running now, it's legitimate for a paying fan to ask questions. If someone from Dr. Jobe's office, or the Dodgers, wishes to answer, all they have to do is log in and comment.
Newer› ‹Older
 |
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.